Megan Tomasic stories, Page 25

Hempfield Area School District residents won’t see a tax increase for the third consecutive year. The district’s budget, passed unanimously by the school board Monday, includes $98.9 million in revenues and $99.7 million in projected expenditures, according to budget documents. The $769,100 deficit, incurred by the adoption of a new...

An East Huntingdon contractor is facing fraud charges after police say he accepted $9,650 in payments for work he did not complete, according to a criminal complaint. Jason Ray Pirl, 40, who does business as Proline Painting, is charged with one count of home improvement fraud after police say he...

Pennsylvania casinos saw a more than $9 million revenue increase in May compared to the previous month, recently released figures show. Combined gambling revenues last month exceeded $413 million compared to $404 million reported in April, according to data from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. A comparison was not provided...

Officials with Live! Casino Pittsburgh are gearing up to host their first festival as a celebration of the start of summer. Summerfest Live! is scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m. June 26 in a parking lot adjacent to the Hempfield facility at Westmoreland Mall. The festival will feature craft beer,...

Two new police dogs are being added to the Greensburg Police Department’s roster. City council on Monday unanimously approved the purchase of the dogs, which will cost $11,000 plus $2,800 for shipping. The purchase will be covered by funding received from the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, officials said. According...

A major overhaul of the Sheetz in New Stanton is scheduled to begin next week, leaving the popular convenience store and gas station shuttered for most of the summer. Located at the intersection of North Center and West Byers avenues, the business will close Monday as crews begin demolishing the...

Greensburg’s police department has a new detective sergeant. Det. Charles Irvin was promoted and sworn into his new position during Monday’s city council meeting. Irvin has been with the police department for several years — the last five years working as a detective, according to police Chief Robert Stafford. The...

After being canceled last year due to the covid-19 pandemic, SummerSounds — the popular Greensburg concert series — is set to return in August. Bands will once again take the stage at the Robertshaw Amphitheater in St. Clair Park beginning Aug. 6, according to an updated schedule on the event’s...

About 900 Duquesne Light customers were still without power Tuesday night after storms passed through the region early this week, the power company reported. According to Duquesne Light spokeswoman Ashley Macik, the company has identified areas with “more extensive damage that will require longer repairs.” There have also been a...

Greensburg leaders during Monday’s council meeting voted to increase funding offered through the city’s Housing Assistance Program to further help those impacted by the pandemic. The vote raises the maximum amount received through the program from $1,500 — or three months of rent or mortgage payments — to $7,500, or...

A new grant will help preserve historical aspects of downtown Greensburg. Awarded to the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Westmoreland, the $23,375 Keystone Historic Preservation Grant will be used to reevaluate the Greensburg Historic District, redefine the districtwide facade design guidelines and conduct an individual building condition assessment at...

It’s last call for the The Midway-St. Clair Social Club in Hempfield, which has been serving members for about 77 years. The club’s last night of operation is Saturday, said Barry Elder, president of the Midway-St. Clair Volunteer Fire Department. Owned by the department, the shuttering of the club on...

A man who died after falling into the Allegheny River near the Seventh Street Bridge on Tuesday afternoon has been identified. According to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office, Lewis Mills, 37, was found unresponsive in the river and was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. Pittsburgh...

Greensburg leaders hope to further help those impacted by the covid-19 pandemic with an additional $6,000 offered through the Greensburg Housing Assistance Program. City council members will vote on the proposal next week, which would raise the maximum amount received through the program from $1,500 — or three months of...

Leaders in the Hempfield Area School District on Monday unanimously voted to eliminate about a dozen positions through attrition, a response to declining enrollments and a decision that supported a balanced 2021-22 budget, officials said. The vote, which took place during the district’s workshop meeting and required a suspension of...

A top leader in the Pagans Motorcycle Club Pittsburgh chapter pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to one count of violating firearms laws, according to the Department of Justice. Patrick Rizzo, 46, of McKees Rocks, vice president of the club, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville....

The number of new covid-19 cases reported in the Penn-Trafford-Jeannette area saw a significant decline over the past week, according to data from the state Department of Health. In all, four new covid cases were reported between June 1 and June 7 for the six ZIP codes covering most of...

WPXI-TV was one of two Cox Media Group stations forced offline this week in an apparent cyberattack against the parent company, according to a report from NBC News. Managers on Thursday told employees at WPXI and WFTV in Orlando, Fla. to shut down company computers and phones, according to report....

A new era in East Deer police protection may be forthcoming with the retirement of longtime Police Chief John Manchini. Manchini, a township policeman for 27 years and the township’s only full-time officer, submitted his resignation for purpose of retiring. The commissioners accepted it Thursday with regret and thanks. It...

Fully vaccinated individuals on the University of Pittsburgh’s campus will no longer be required to wear face coverings while outdoors, according to university officials. An announcement posted to the university’s Twitter account Friday afternoon said the new recommendations will go into effect Monday, June 7. Everyone, regardless of vaccination status,...

Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...

A shredding event is scheduled this week at the Hempfield Township Park and Athletic Complex. Sponsored by State Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield, the event is scheduled for Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. “Protect yourself from identity theft by bringing discarded documents containing sensitive personal information to my free,...